Another boycott period of Target launched

Emily Barnes and Reia Li

New York Connect Team

USA TODAY NETWORK

The People’s Union USA is asking consumers to once again boycott Target. Between June 3-9, the activist group, led by John Schwarz, is calling for people to not shop at the retail chain, instead asking supporters to shop local.

'Take the week to spread the word — no more Target. We don’t need Target. We don’t have to shop at Target,' Schwarz said in a June 2 Instagram post. 'Shop locally and independently. It’s time that people teach a corporation a lesson and let’s take that lesson out on Target.'

Here’s what to know about the latest Target boycott.

Why are people boycotting Target again?

It’s essentially for the same reason the activist group organized previous boycotts against Walmart, Amazon and Nestle and General Mills.

Although The People’s Union blackouts started at a similar time as other DEI-related boycotts, Schwarz told The Arizona Republic that the actions of The People’s Union USA are not directly tied to companies’ DEI stances.

'The mission of The People’s Union USA is to hold corporations and corrupt systems accountable, not with violence or empty promises, but with the one thing that actually affects them, the money we spend,' Schwarz said via email.

This isn’t the first boycott against Target this year. Soon after President Donald Trump took office in January, Target joined a wave of major retailers announcing the end of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The changes included ending a program aimed at helping Black employees advance in the company and supporting Black-owned businesses.

When the rollback was announced, Target said it already planned to end the program this year. This decision prompted consumers upset with the DEI rollback to boycott the major retailer.

A national Target boycott in honor of Black History Month began Feb. 1, led by Minnesota activists. The ongoing Latino Freeze movement asks Latinos to stop spending money at Target and other major retailers that cut DEI. A 40-day boycott during Lent led by Black church leaders ended April 17.

How many Target stores are in New York?

There are 107 Target locations in New York, according to the company’s store directory, including seven in the Rochester area, and seven in Rockland and Westchester counties.

Rochester-area stores

•Penfield : 2161 Fairport Nine Mile Point Road

•Henrietta : 2325 Marketplace Drive

•Greece: 600 Greece Ridge Center Drive

•Irondequoit: 500 Skyview Centre Parkway

•Chili: 3181 Chili Ave.

•Victor: 7500 Commons Blvd.

•Webster : 1050 Ridge Road

Rockland/Westchester-area stores

•Mount Kisco: 195 North Bedford Road, Suite A

•Mount Vernon: 500 East Sandford Blvd.

•Port Chester: 495 Boston Post Road

•Spring Valley: 50 Spring Valley Market Place

•West Nyack: 4120 Palisades Center Drive

•White Plains: 9 City Place

•Yonkers: 9005 Xavier Drive

How is Target dealing with the recent economic pressure?

Not all that well.

Target acknowledged its reputation has been damaged by the boycotts in its annual report on financial performance filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for fiscal year 2024, which ended in February.

The company’s net sales were down 2.8% compared with the first quarter of fiscal year 2024, according to Target’s Q1 earnings report, and foot traffic, or the number of people entering Target stores, was also down.

In February 2025, the first month of boycotts, Target’s foot traffic was down 9.5%, according to Placer.ai. And the week of March 31, Target’s store traffic was down 7.9% compared to the previous year, Newsweek reported.

Target’s stock price is also down. On April 14, it hit the lowest point in five years at $94. At the end of January, the price per share was $142.

Emily Barnes on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Network’s New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on X and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@gannett.com.